章节正文
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sides of these high sheer craigs. Here the mother guillemot lays
her single egg, and here, on these narrow shelves of precipitous
rock, she holds it in place with her foot until the warmth of her
leg and overhanging body hatches it into life, when she takes it on
her back and flies down to the sea. Motherhood under difficulties,
it would seem, and the education of the baby guillemot is carried
forward on Spartan principles; for the moment he is out of the shell
he is swept downward hundreds of feet and plunged into a cold ocean,
where he can sink or swim as instinct serves him. In a life so
fraught with anxieties, exposures, and dangers, it is not strange
that the guillemots keeps up a ceaseless clang of excited
conversation, a very riot and wrangle of altercation and argument
which the circumstances seem to warrant. The prospective father is
obliged to take turns with the prospective mother, and hold the one
precious egg on the rock while she goes for a fly, a swim, a bite,
and a sup. As there are five hundred other parents on the same
rock, and the eggs look to be only a couple of inches apart, the
scene must be distracting, and I have no doubt we should find, if
statistics were gathered, that thousands of guillemots die of
nervous prostration.
Willie and I interpreted the clamour somewhat as follows:-
[Between parent birds.]
"I am going to take my foot off. Are you ready to put yours on?
Don't be clumsy! Wait a minute, I'm not ready. I'M NOT READY, I
TELL YOU! NOW!!"
[Between rival mothers.]
"Your egg is so close to mine that I can't breathe---"
"Move your egg, then, I can't move mine!"
"You're sitting so close, I can't stretch my wings."
"Neither can I. You've got as much room as I have."
"I shall tumble if you crowd me."
"Go ahead and tumble, then! There is plenty of room in the sea."
[From one father to another ceremoniously.]
"Pardon me, but I'm afraid I shoved your wife off the rock last
night."
"Don't mention it. I remember I shoved off your wife's mother last
year."
We walked among the tiny whitewashed low-roofed cots, each with its
silver-skinned fishes tacked invitingly against the door-frame to
dry, until we came to my favourite, the corner cottage in the row.
It has beautiful narrow garden strips in front,--solid patches of
colour in sweet gillyflower bushes, from which the kindly housewife
plucked a nosegay for us. Her white columbines she calls `granny's
mutches'; and indeed they are not unlike those fresh white caps.
Dear Robbie Burns, ten inches high in plaster, stands in the sunny
window in a tiny box of blossoming plants surrounded by a miniature
green picket fence. Outside, looming white among the gillyflowers,
is Sir Walter, and near him is still another and a larger bust on a
cracked pedestal a foot high, perhaps. We did not recognise the
head at once, and asked the little woman who it was.
"Homer, the graund Greek poet," she answered cheerily; "an' I'm to
have anither o' Burns, as tall as Homer, when my daughter comes hame
frae E'nbro'."
If the shade of Homer keeps account of his earthly triumphs, I think
he is proud of his place in that humble Scotchwoman's gillyflower
garden, with his head under the drooping petals of granny's white
mutches.
What do you think her `mon' is called in the village! John o' Mary!
But he is not alone in his meekness, for there are Jock o' Meg,
Willie o' Janet, Jem o' Tibby, and a dozen others. These primitive
fishing-villages are the places where all the advanced women ought
to congregate, for the wife is head of the house; the accountant,
the treasurer, the auditor, the chancellor of the exchequer; and
though her husband does catch the fish for her to sell, that is
accounted apparently as a detail too trivial for notice.
When we passed Mary's cottage on our way to the sands next day,
Burns's head had been accidentally broken off by the children, and
we felt as though we had lost a friend; but Scotch thrift, and
loyalty to the dear Ploughman Poet, came to the rescue, and when we
returned, Robert's plaster head had been glued to his body. He
her single egg, and here, on these narrow shelves of precipitous
rock, she holds it in place with her foot until the warmth of her
leg and overhanging body hatches it into life, when she takes it on
her back and flies down to the sea. Motherhood under difficulties,
it would seem, and the education of the baby guillemot is carried
forward on Spartan principles; for the moment he is out of the shell
he is swept downward hundreds of feet and plunged into a cold ocean,
where he can sink or swim as instinct serves him. In a life so
fraught with anxieties, exposures, and dangers, it is not strange
that the guillemots keeps up a ceaseless clang of excited
conversation, a very riot and wrangle of altercation and argument
which the circumstances seem to warrant. The prospective father is
obliged to take turns with the prospective mother, and hold the one
precious egg on the rock while she goes for a fly, a swim, a bite,
and a sup. As there are five hundred other parents on the same
rock, and the eggs look to be only a couple of inches apart, the
scene must be distracting, and I have no doubt we should find, if
statistics were gathered, that thousands of guillemots die of
nervous prostration.
Willie and I interpreted the clamour somewhat as follows:-
[Between parent birds.]
"I am going to take my foot off. Are you ready to put yours on?
Don't be clumsy! Wait a minute, I'm not ready. I'M NOT READY, I
TELL YOU! NOW!!"
[Between rival mothers.]
"Your egg is so close to mine that I can't breathe---"
"Move your egg, then, I can't move mine!"
"You're sitting so close, I can't stretch my wings."
"Neither can I. You've got as much room as I have."
"I shall tumble if you crowd me."
"Go ahead and tumble, then! There is plenty of room in the sea."
[From one father to another ceremoniously.]
"Pardon me, but I'm afraid I shoved your wife off the rock last
night."
"Don't mention it. I remember I shoved off your wife's mother last
year."
We walked among the tiny whitewashed low-roofed cots, each with its
silver-skinned fishes tacked invitingly against the door-frame to
dry, until we came to my favourite, the corner cottage in the row.
It has beautiful narrow garden strips in front,--solid patches of
colour in sweet gillyflower bushes, from which the kindly housewife
plucked a nosegay for us. Her white columbines she calls `granny's
mutches'; and indeed they are not unlike those fresh white caps.
Dear Robbie Burns, ten inches high in plaster, stands in the sunny
window in a tiny box of blossoming plants surrounded by a miniature
green picket fence. Outside, looming white among the gillyflowers,
is Sir Walter, and near him is still another and a larger bust on a
cracked pedestal a foot high, perhaps. We did not recognise the
head at once, and asked the little woman who it was.
"Homer, the graund Greek poet," she answered cheerily; "an' I'm to
have anither o' Burns, as tall as Homer, when my daughter comes hame
frae E'nbro'."
If the shade of Homer keeps account of his earthly triumphs, I think
he is proud of his place in that humble Scotchwoman's gillyflower
garden, with his head under the drooping petals of granny's white
mutches.
What do you think her `mon' is called in the village! John o' Mary!
But he is not alone in his meekness, for there are Jock o' Meg,
Willie o' Janet, Jem o' Tibby, and a dozen others. These primitive
fishing-villages are the places where all the advanced women ought
to congregate, for the wife is head of the house; the accountant,
the treasurer, the auditor, the chancellor of the exchequer; and
though her husband does catch the fish for her to sell, that is
accounted apparently as a detail too trivial for notice.
When we passed Mary's cottage on our way to the sands next day,
Burns's head had been accidentally broken off by the children, and
we felt as though we had lost a friend; but Scotch thrift, and
loyalty to the dear Ploughman Poet, came to the rescue, and when we
returned, Robert's plaster head had been glued to his body. He
- confess [kən´fes]
vt.供认；坦白；承认 (初中英语单词) - mistress [´mistris] n.女主人；情妇；女能手 (初中英语单词)
- scarlet [´skɑ:lit] n.猩红色 a.猩红的 (初中英语单词)
- permission [pə´miʃən] n.允许；同意；许可 (初中英语单词)
- valuable [´væljuəbəl, -jubəl] a.有价值的，贵重的 (初中英语单词)
- innocent [´inəsənt] a.无罪的；单纯的 (初中英语单词)
- comparison [kəm´pærisən] n.比较；对照；比喻 (初中英语单词)
- humble [´hʌmbəl] a.谦卑的 vt.贬抑 (初中英语单词)
- cottage [´kɔtidʒ] n.村舍；小屋；小别墅 (初中英语单词)
- meantime [´mi:ntaim] n.&ad.其间；同时 (初中英语单词)
- suffering [´sʌfəriŋ] n.痛苦；灾害 (初中英语单词)
- collar [´kɔlə] n.衣领；(狗等的)项圈 (初中英语单词)
- sunshine [´sʌnʃain] n.日光，阳光 (初中英语单词)
- sprinkle [´spriŋkəl] v.撒，洒 n.细雨；微量 (初中英语单词)
- hidden [´hid(ə)n] hide 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)
- supposed [sə´pəuzd] a.想象的；假定的 (初中英语单词)
- unusual [ʌn´ju:ʒuəl] a.不平常的；异常的 (初中英语单词)
- working [´wə:kiŋ] a.工人的；劳动的 (初中英语单词)
- feeble [´fi:bəl] a.虚弱的，无力的 (初中英语单词)
- anxious [´æŋkʃəs] a.担忧的；渴望的 (初中英语单词)
- lonely [´ləunli] a.孤独的；无人烟的 (初中英语单词)
- frighten [´fraitn] vt.吓唬，使惊惧 (初中英语单词)
- overlook [,əuvə´luk] vt.&n.俯瞰；忽略；观察 (初中英语单词)
- invisible [in´vizəbəl] a.看不见的；无形的 (初中英语单词)
- shriek [ʃri:k] v.&n.尖叫(声) (初中英语单词)
- scream [skri:m] v.&n.尖叫(声) (初中英语单词)
- warmth [wɔ:mθ] n.温暖；热情；激动 (初中英语单词)
- instinct [´instiŋkt] n.本能；直觉；天资 (初中英语单词)
- unlike [,ʌn´laik] a.不同的 prep.不象… (初中英语单词)
- account [ə´kaunt] vi.说明 vt.认为 n.帐目 (初中英语单词)
- advanced [əd´vɑ:nst] a.先进的；高级的 (初中英语单词)
- rescue [´reskju:] vt.&n.救援；挽救 (初中英语单词)
- crowded [´kraudid] a.充(拥)满了的 (高中英语单词)
- finding [´faindiŋ] n.发现物；判断；结果 (高中英语单词)
- saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)
- ballad [´bæləd] n.民歌，民谣 (高中英语单词)
- reverend [´revərənd] a.可尊敬的 (高中英语单词)
- landscape [´lændskeip] n.风景；景色；风景画 (高中英语单词)
- separation [,sepə´reiʃən] n.分离；分开；分居 (高中英语单词)
- lavender [´lævində] n.熏衣草；淡紫色 (高中英语单词)
- chamber [´tʃeimbə] n.房间；议院；会议室 (高中英语单词)
- ragged [´rægid] a.衣服破烂的 (高中英语单词)
- kindle [´kindl] v.点燃；(使)激动 (高中英语单词)
- bustle [´bʌsəl] v.(使)匆忙 n.匆忙 (高中英语单词)
- rugged [´rʌgid] a.不平的；粗犷的 (高中英语单词)
- desolate [´desəleit] a.荒凉的；孤独的 (高中英语单词)
- summit [´sʌmit] n.顶(点)；绝顶 (高中英语单词)
- shelves [ʃelvz] shelf的复数 (高中英语单词)
- downward [´daunwəd] a.下降的，向下的 (高中英语单词)
- plaster [´plɑ:stə] n.灰泥 vt.厚厚地涂抹 (高中英语单词)
- earthly [´ə:θli] a.地球的；世俗的 (高中英语单词)
- chancellor [´tʃɑ:nsələ] n.首相；大臣 (高中英语单词)
- apparently [ə´pærəntli] ad.显然，表面上地 (高中英语单词)
- scotch [skɔtʃ] vt.&n.刻痕(于)；划伤 (高中英语单词)
- wardrobe [´wɔ:drəub] n.衣柜；全部服装 (英语四级单词)
- theatrical [θi´ætrikəl] a.戏院的；戏剧(性)的 (英语四级单词)
- towering [´tauəriŋ] a.高耸的；强烈的 (英语四级单词)
- primrose [´primrəuz] n.樱草(花) a.樱草的 (英语四级单词)
- wanton [´wɔntən, ´wɑ:n-] a.顽皮的 n.&vi.荡妇 (英语四级单词)
- currant [´kʌrənt] n.无核葡萄干 (英语四级单词)
- idleness [´aidlnis] n.懒；闲着不干事 (英语四级单词)
- feebly [´fi:bli] ad.虚弱地；贫乏地 (英语四级单词)
- briskly [´briskli] ad.轻快地；活泼地 (英语四级单词)
- silvery [´silvəri] a.银一般的 (英语四级单词)
- warrant [´wɔrənt] n.根据；委任书；权利 (英语四级单词)
- prospective [prə´spektiv] a.预期的；未来的 (英语四级单词)
- pedestal [´pedistl] n.垫座 vt.给…装上座 (英语四级单词)
- cheerily [´tʃiərili] ad. 高兴地；愉快地 (英语四级单词)
- trivial [´triviəl] a.琐碎的；不重要的 (英语四级单词)
- thrift [θrift] n.节俭，节约 (英语四级单词)
- calling [´kɔ:liŋ] n.点名；职业；欲望 (英语六级单词)
- cravat [krə´væt] n.领带；围巾 (英语六级单词)
- whichever [witʃ´evə] a.&pron.无论哪个(些) (英语六级单词)
- wayside [´weisaid] n.&a.路边(的) (英语六级单词)
- hedgehog [´hedʒhɔg] n.刺猬 (英语六级单词)
- stealthily [´stelθili] ad.偷偷地，隐秘地 (英语六级单词)
- heather [´heðə] n.石南属植物 (英语六级单词)
- eternally [i:´tə:nli] ad.永久地；不朽地 (英语六级单词)
- incessant [in´sesənt] a.不断的，不停的 (英语六级单词)
- ceaseless [´si:slis] a.不绝的，不停的 (英语六级单词)
- wrangle [´ræŋgəl] v.争论，口角，争吵 (英语六级单词)
- picket [´pikit] n.(尖)桩 v.设置；监视 (英语六级单词)
- meekness [´mi:knis] n.温顺；卑恭屈节 (英语六级单词)
- congregate [´kɔŋgrigeit] v.(使)集合 a.集体的 (英语六级单词)
- exchequer [iks´tʃekə] n.资金；(个人)财力 (英语六级单词)
- accidentally [,æksi´dentəli] ad.偶然地 (英语六级单词)
- ploughman [´plaumən] n.庄稼汉 =plowman (英语六级单词)
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